Red Sox Journal: Buchholz doubtful for Sunday start

Wednesday

Jun 12, 2013 at 7:28 PM

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Clay Buchholz is still experiencing stiffness in his neck and right shoulder, and it now appears unlikely that he will start on Sunday.Buchholz played catch on Wednesday.“He threw...

By TIM BRITTON

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Clay Buchholz is still experiencing stiffness in his neck and right shoulder, and it now appears unlikely that he will start on Sunday.

Buchholz played catch on Wednesday.

“He threw the ball OK. I think he still felt a little bit of stiffness,” manager John Farrell said. “He improved over the last time he had a ball in his hands, with 48 hours of no throw. We’ve got to factor in what takes place today and tomorrow for preparing through the rotation through Baltimore. We have options.”

Buchholz’s turn in the rotation is Friday. Because of the lingering pain, which dates back to his missing a start with inflammation in his AC joint in late May, the Red Sox pushed him back. Ryan Dempster will start Friday.

The hope had been that Buchholz would play catch Wednesday and throw a bullpen session on Friday. The latter now seems unlikely.

If Buchholz can’t start Sunday, Boston can turn to Jon Lester on regular rest. Buchholz could throw a bullpen session Sunday then in anticipation of starting one part of the doubleheader against the Rays on Tuesday.

“If there’s not marked improvement by tomorrow, we may be looking to do just that,” said Farrell. “We’ll go when he’s ready and we have to factor every day he puts a ball in his hand into this.”

Buchholz leads the American League with nine wins and a 1.71 ERA on the season. He is the first Red Sox pitcher to open a season 9-0 since Josh Beckett in 2007. No Boston starter has been 10-0 in a season since Roger Clemens won his first 14 decisions in 1986.

Meeting of the minds

Lester had a sit-down meeting on Wednesday with Farrell and pitching coach Juan Nieves to discuss the plan of attack after Tuesday’s rough start against the Rays.

Lester allowed a season-high seven runs on eight hits in just 42/3 innings. He tied a career-high with seven walks, and he served up three home runs.

“We met today to get back to some basics and re-establish what his strengths are,” said Farrell. “And that is his four-seam fastball to his glove side. That establishes release point in the event that he needs to go to an area to get back into a count or to start a hitter off with. Last night, it was pretty clear that he was searching to get some consistency and some semblance of a four-pitch mix rather than kind of searching from one pitch to the next.”

Lester’s game plan against Tampa Bay was to begin the game pitching backwards with offspeed, hoping to keep the fastball-feasting Rays off balance. It didn’t work, largely because Lester couldn’t locate with either his curveball or changeup. He threw just a quarter of his offspeed pitches for strikes.

Even worse, Lester couldn’t control his hard stuff either.

“There was a distinct plan last night to try to incorporate more offspeed early on, given their approach to fastballs early in the count,” Farrell said. “And what it took away from was establishing the fastball to do just that.”

“We were trying to slow them down,” said catcher David Ross. “They made him elevate the ball and put some good swings on it.”

Farrell said Lester needed to do more to maintain his delivery.

“This is not any different than some things he’s run into before or what any other pitcher would go through,” he said. “But it’s work that needs to be addressed.”

In a better place

Nearly three hours before first pitch on Wednesday night, Mike Napoli had some time to relax.

It didn’t use to be this way.

When Napoli was a full-time catcher, his time before the game was filled up with scouting reports and meetings with pitchers and figuring out potential matchups. Nowadays?

“You’re a little more free,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about all that pitching stuff. You can just worry about hitting and your fielding.”

The physical benefits of playing first base instead of catcher are obvious. It is easier to stand at first for nine innings than crouch behind the plate for nine.

Just as important, Napoli said, are the mental benefits. Playing first is just a lot less complicated.

“It’s a mental grind, too,” Napoli said of catching. “Sometimes you want someone out there to do so well, and when they’re not doing well, you feel like it’s your fault. You’re back there calling pitches, and you want to be on the same page and call the right pitch.

“You’re out there dealing with so many different personalities. You’ve got to know every pitcher, you’ve got to know all their stuff.”

Napoli said he feels “totally different” physically at this point of the season than in years past, even as his OPS entering Wednesday is the same as it was for the 2012 season (.812).

A job well done

Tuesday’s Red Sox bright spot was back with Pawtucket come Wednesday.

Jose De La Torre was called up on Tuesday morning to provide a fresh arm in the bullpen just in case Lester couldn’t provide his typical length. De La Torre was needed earlier than anyone could have expected.

Lester lasted a season-low 42/3 innings, and De La Torre saved the Boston bullpen by finishing out the last 31/3 in Tuesday’s 8-3 loss. His reward — beside a fist-bump of gratitude from Lester — was a demotion back to Pawtucket to make room for Wednesday starter Alfredo Aceves.

“I did the job they needed,” De La Torre said. “You’ve got to throw strikes, I’ve got to pound the zone and get quick outs so I can go as long as I can. It was good that I finished the game and no one had to come in and finish it.”

That’s no small achievement. With Aceves going Wednesday, the last thing the Red Sox wanted was to have to tap into a bullpen seriously overworked by a Saturday doubleheader and a 14-inning game Monday. With De La Torre biting the bullet, Boston entered Wednesday’s rubber game with its full complement of relievers.

“He’s the biggest part of the game for us. He picked me up,” said Lester. “That’s huge.”